Review: *My lucky charm* - ARC - Courtney Walsh
5/5✨

I'm super grateful for the chance you've given me to be part of the ARC team for this book. So thank you Courtney Walsh and NetGalley 💙!! It was an amazing read and I devoured it in less than 2 days 🤭.

Eloise is the smallest one of the Hart sisters. She had a really bad end of year and one the New Years Eve she decides to kiss a stranger, to make his old boyfriend jealous. But after a few months, she discovers that the man she kissed is a famous hockey player for whom she must work. She gradually gets to know Grayson Hawke, a grumpy man who just hates everyone and everything. It's going to be a difficult job for Eloise, but her positivity it's infections and it's hard not to steal some of her good vibes.

I adooored every part of this story. The slow burn, it had lots of banter between Eloise and Gray, lots of funny scenes and some sad parts which made you think about life. The characters were built really good, but also their relationship with the others.

I loved the interactions between Eloise and her family, her sisters and father were really funny and the ones between Gray and his hockey teammates and his family.

The story had a small plot twist which added another character into the spotlight, which had a big part at building the happy ending for Eloise and Grayson. It was great to watch them throughout the story and see them how they were getting attached to each other.

Even though it was my first read from this author, I can say that I clicked instantly with this story and I felt really good reading it. I highly recommend it if you're looking for a super sweet story, with no spicy scenes but I'm telling you that it didn't even matter because the way the story was buit is going to keep you captivated!🤭

Tropes: Sports romance, forbidden love, grumpy-sunshine, found family, athlete, good girl/bad boy, boss/employee, close proximity, opposites attracts, workplace romance.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 🌟

This was such a cute, sweet, story! I really loved the first one in the series and was so excited to read this.

I related to Eloise so much and I think her character development is amazing and was done in such a real way.

Gray is the broody, grumpy, mmc who stole my heart. I loved seeing his relationship with his daughter and how he came so far as a person.

This author is really easy to read (not in a bad way) and I binged the entire book in one sitting.

Oh this was super cute. Grumpy and Sunshine, sports, forced proximity, etc. the ending had me giggling with the cuteness.

Thanks, Sweethaven Press, for the early review copy via NetGalley.

It was so entertaining to spend time with Eloise (never met a stranger, wears her heart on her sleeve, the Golden Retriever of people) and her hockey star new boss, Grayson (can you stay a stranger? I’m busy here. All work no play. The Belgian Malinois of people). Their banter and chemistry were more charming than a bowl of Lucky Charms, more sparkling than a Dr. Pepper. I challenge you to read this without grinning (I’m smiling, just writing this!).

“My Lucky Charm is a grumpy/sunshine, sweet hockey romance with all of the sizzle but none of the steam. It's the second in the Holidays with Hart series, but My Lucky Charm can be read as a stand-alone.”

Five happy (green) hearts for this love story. 💚💚💚💚💚

This book was super fun & cute. The characters were very lovable and I found myself cheering for all of them. All of the characters seemed to think they all knew what they wanted but, what they truly needed was the opposite. This book also gave info about Chicago (since she was a tour guide) I have now booked my first trip to Chicago for this June and will be picturing this book! My new favorite trope grumpy meets sunshine!!! It's such a good romance!!

I loved this book! Gives off serious Sarah Adams vibes! Clean rom-com. Grumpy hockey player meets Pollyanna! My favorite kind of read!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! Courtney Walsh is ALWAYS a win!

OMG this book was so freaking good! It was like a hug to my heart! Gray was the epitome of a grump, and Eloise was such a funny character. I loved their banter and how quickly she became an integral part of his life. Gray was so miserable with everyone but his sweet moments were freaking swoon worthy! There was also a part of this book I didn’t see coming and it just made me LOVE it so much more! I haven’t read the first book, but I loved Poppy’s character so I for sure will be reading it! I even went out and got physical copies of both because I loved it so much!

Thank you so much to @netgalley @courtneywalsh and @victoryeditingngc for the advance copy of this to read and review!

This book is just perfect! The character development, the pace, the feels, the depth, the struggles, the growth and the love - it has everything! I just couldn’t put it down but unfortunately I had to sleep, LOL.

I LOVED this story. Eloise and Gray seemed total opposites. Like Eloise said: <i>“We couldn’t be more different. We’re not apples and oranges, we’re apples and cactuses.”</i> Eloise is happy, uplifting, friendly, chatty and smiley, a true sunshine. Gray is dark, moody, angry, grumpy and rude. They meet when Eloise is at a bar at new year’s eve with her friend Meredith and her boyfriend, when her ex enters the bar. The prospect of being alone when everybody is kissing someone while being watched by her ex-boyfriend is so humiliating that she straightforwardly asks a random stranger to kiss her at midnight. He does - and not only is it the best kiss she’s ever had, later she finds out he’s also the guy she’ll be working for! Eloise is hired as some kind of PA but with the main task of helping him get settled in Chicago, show him the town, help him get used to his new life, because he has a reputation of being difficult and reclusive. The only problem is that he doesn’t want a ‘nanny’. But Eloise isn’t put off by that. She’s up for the challenge! So she faces Gray head on, not backing away from being direct and saying it like it is. I really liked that she spoke her mind!

And Gray might be rude and reclusive, but he’s very hurt by the people around him. You soon learn that his father was a bully and didn’t do ‘nice’, didn’t care for how Gray felt, he only cared about results. He pressured Gray to be the best but Gray’s best was never good enough. He’s almost like a machine; programmed to work hard, be the best and not get ‘distracted’ by people, emotions, love. Enter Eloise, who is sweet, nice, kind, a people-person and loving… and you know you have a great story in your hands to enjoy!

But this book has so much more than just a sunny PA and a grumpy hockey player. It has so much depth, is so incredibly well developed and written - I don’t often find a story that is this good. Eloise and Gray have verbal face-offs (fun!) but there’s also those internal struggles and inabilities to say how you feel. Honest conversations where they get closer to each other and snappy, rude pushing away. Awkward silences and comfortable enjoyments. It has it all and it is beautifully written, not over the top but just perfectly executed!

The secondary characters also add so much.
Dallas, Scarlett, Poppy, even Raya and Jay. They all add a lot. (I hope the next book is about Raya and maybe Finn?) And I like that besides the story of Eloise and Gray together, there’s also the story of Eloise and Jay, and Gray and his dad, and what we can learn from those relationships. You could recognize so much in those stories about how you feel yourself or someone you know. It makes you think. It’s a wonderful story about finding and accepting yourself. It’s easy to read but has depth, it’s fun but with seriousness, it’s about you as a person but also about relationships with others. A clean story but with so much chemistry! Honest and realistic characters and character development. And it casually teaches you about toxic relationships and the world of sign language for deaf people.
I have added Courtney Walsh to my list of favorite writers, I’ll be checking out more of her books!

Last but not least: Read this amazing book and you’ll understand why my man never buys me flowers but buys me strawberries (in my case). Read this book and you will catch yourself writing tiny hearts on things.
<i>Do it because you love it.</i>
*thumbs up emoji*

Thank you Victoria Editing NetGalley, Sweethaven Press and Courtney Walsh for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I always love a good hockey story.

When I started reading, I thought they would get together fairly quickly. But BOY WAS I WRONG!
The slow burn, the mutual pining, the "I want you, but I can't have you". Perfect!

It's been a long time since I have read a book including pre-teens, but Scarlett didn't bother me at all. Even better, she was a great addition to the story.

So heartwarming & charming!! Eloise, the main character and the 2nd Hart sister, is so bubbly and charismatic, and she finds herself falling for a grumpy, standoffish, hockey player. Their storyline is just so entertaining and swoon worthy. I loved their banter and enjoyed how their relationship played out. The holiday in this Holiday with Hart book is St. Patrick's Day but it isn't a big theme or an overwhelming part of the book, just mentioned a couple times. Although this is the 2nd book in the Holidays with Hart series, it can be read as a standalone. I do highly recommend reading the 1st book, My Phony Valentine, however, because it's equally enjoyable. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in this series when it comes out, which I'm assuming will be about the 3rd Hart sister, Raya.

Thank you, NetGalley, and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, Sweethaven Press for a copy in return for my honest review.

This book was soooo good!!! I love single parent romances especially when the child has their own role in the story and this one didn't let me down!

Gray!!! Mmhhmm!! I'll take me some of that grumpy but softie any day! He was the perfect combination of grump and teddy bear dad all the way and I was here for it!!

Scarlett was a character all on her own with that big personality. She was cute as a button and smart too!! Loved her from the very beginning!!

Eloise was amazing too! She handles Gray and his moodiness like a pro and absolutely adored Scarlett like the princess she was!!

Such a cute story, perfect for St. Patrick's Day season and I'm always here for a good sports romance. This one follows hockey which I've been loving!! Definitely recommend picking this one up!!!

All the stars for this one! Grumpy/Sunshine is one of my favorite tropes and it did not disappoint. It was a cute and fast read and left me with a smile on my face. It is the second book in the "Holidays with Hart" series, but can also be read as a standalone. I'm excited to go back and read "My Phony Valentine!"

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

I LOVED this second Hart sisters book!! Eloise was pure sunshine and she paired so well with the grumpiest of grumpy heroes, Grayson Hawke, star hockey player who is not happy to have been traded to the Chicago Comets. Full of great banter, swoony kisses and an amazing grand gesture, this is perfect for fans of Jenny Proctor and Emma St. Clair's Appie's hockey series. Highly, highly recommended! Many thanks to NetGalley and the author for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Steam level: kissing only

3.5⭐️

A sweet, grumpy x sunshine closed door romance that was a quick and pleasant read. This was my first Courtney Walsh book and I am thankful to netgalley & victorypub for the arc!

As I said this was a pleasant read but I wished it would have been something more. When I read the first chapter, I was totally hooked. Eloise and Gray’s meet cute was in a bar on new year’s eve, kissing as strangers. And trust me, the description of that kiss and Gray as the brooding stranger was soo good that I was looking forward to great sizzling chemistry! But, it kind of fizzled out!

Eloise and Gray were great characters as the sunshine and grumpy counterparts and the sports trope, close proximity had so much potential, even if this was a closed door romance. What went downhill for me was too much focus on Eloise people pleasing nature, which kind of tired me after a point and somewhere down the line. Gray’s past well justified his current aloofness and when his private life is revealed, we see a softer side of him. But, eventually I felt Gray was reduced to just a guy who wanted the woman but I couldn’t feel the angst or romance that much. I do not want to put a spoiler in this review but the part of his life that is revealed, becomes more of the focus and honestly, having a trope which I wasn’t expecting from the blurb, puts me off. I wasn’t too thrilled with the grand gesture at the end, the chemistry that was there in the first kiss, never came back! Uggh!

Having said that, if you want a sweet and cute read without too much expectations from the romance part, then this could be for you!

I cannot stress enough that you do not want to sleep on @courtneywalsh for the sweetest romances. Thank you @netgalley and @sweethavenbooks for the advanced copy! My Lucky Charm was the perfect Grumpy/Sunshine read leading up to St. Patrick’s Day. Mr. Crankypants Grayson Hawke is hockey phenom who doesn’t let anybody in until he’s forced to take Eloise and her constant positivity as his assistant to turn his negative image around. Read if you like: hockey romances, grumpy/sunshine, happy ever afters. #MyLuckyCharm #bookstagram #booksbooksbooks #books #bookish #bookworm #romance #romancebooks #romancereader #netgalley

All the stars! I absolutely love, love, loved this book!

It’s a grumpy/sunshine, closed door, slow burn hockey romance made in heaven. Thank you Courtney Walsh for this dream book.

Gray is the epitome of grump in grumpy/sunshine. He doesn’t smile, doesn’t like feelings and barely talks except if it’s a grunt but wow what a character! Behind the tough shell there is such depth and authenticity and this is gradually brought out by the sunshine character of the book - Eloise. She is completely sweet and loyal, wearing all her emotions out in the open she is the polar opposite of Gray.

The slow burn love story was not too slow, with little moments of romance and tension sprinkled throughout. I loved that it was dual pov so we got to read through the eyes of Gray and Eloise. I always feel like it adds so much depth to a story. Beyond the surface of the romance we also learn the backstory to Grays and Eloise and how their past relationships have affected and continue to affect them now.

This could definitely be read as a standalone but is also book 2 in the Holidays with Hart series. The side characters are just as interesting as the main characters and I hope there will be a book 3 which features Raya as the main character.

My Lucky Charm is a feel-good adorable RomCom. Eloise and Gray are pretty much geh opposite of each other - she talks a lot and he would rather not. And who doesn’t love a grumpy x sunshine romance. And one thing that will always be the hooked on a book is a single parent romance. There’s just something truly special about someone falling in love not only with a person but also with their child. I had a great time reading this, it’s a quick, light hearted read and absolutely worth grabbing if you get the chance.

“For everyone who loves a grumpy hero. I tried to make this one the grumpiest.” - Courtney Walsh

I can confirm, Courtney did in fact follow through on this.. and it brought pure bliss and butterflies! 🥰

I had a feeling I would love this book before I even received my ARC copy - this is my first Courtney Walsh read but *certainly* not my last - but I didn’t know that I would stay up way too late devouring 64% of it, and then spend the following day trying my best to concentrate on my work only to find myself giving in and finishing it in the middle of the day. True story.

Everything about this book had me laughing (ask my husband, I gave him a couple of jump scares with my cackles), ooh-ing and ah-ing, and melting into a puddle by the end.

Eloise’s internal monologue was nothing short of hilarious and so, so relatable. Most of my annotations (and there’s a lot) are from her innermost thoughts. Can we be besties, Eloise?

As for Gray… oh Gray… I just wanted to hug him, and then shake him and tell him to stop being so grumpy and let Eloise’s sunshine in. He was the epitome of a grumpy MMC and now I worry all other MMC’s I read about won’t be grumpy enough.. *sigh*

I’ve never been a big sports fan, and certainly never been interested in anything Hockey, but… I get it now. I get why everyone is swooning over hockey romances these days, and Courtney Walsh’s books in general.

If you love cute, swoon-worthy, extra grumpy/sunshine, happy ending romances, you’re destined to love this book. 💛🏒

Thank you Sweet Haven Press, @netgalley, and @courtneywalsh for the ARC. All opinions are my own and honest.

I loved this sweet rom-com! Gray and Eloise are the ultimate grumpy-sunshine couple.

Eloise and Gray have a meet-cute on New Years Eve. What Eloise did not know is that Gray is a professional hockey player. Her sisters’ boyfriend is this team captain of the hockey team and decides to recruit Eloise to be the assistant for his new grumpy teammate….which happens to be Gray.

In My Phony Valentine, I knew Eloise would be my favorite Hart sister, and I was right! She is peppy, talkative, positive, and fun. She has been hurt many times but she doesn’t allow herself to feel sadness. She doesn’t like to be sad so she has trained herself to bottle it up and move on.

Gray is the ultimate grump who doesn’t want to be on this new team. He is very unhappy about this trade and he has a good reason which I will not spoil here. His father raised him to be the best and nothing else should matter which has affected Gray in his relationships throughout his life.

Eloise is challenged to keep Gray on his best behavior with the press and also teach him all the things to love about Chicago. She has her work cut out for her but slowly she starts to break down his walls. He starts to play better, learning that his life and purpose is more than hockey.

I relate to Eloise with what she wants in life. She has never been career driven like her sisters but just wants a simple life with a family and someone who loves her the way her parents love each other. It was so refreshing to read about a FMC who isn’t driven by just becoming a successful woman in the world, but is perfectly content to admit that she wants a simple life.

There were main times when my heart hurt for Eloise and Gray. But of course the ending brought it all together into a sweet sweet happily ever after. And I couldn’t be happier.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book.

Thank you so much @netgally @courtneywalsh for an advance copy of this book!

🍀 𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 🍀
This book was such a fun, sweet romcom to continue the Hart sisters series. Eloise is the youngest outgoing Hart sister who needs a new job. Grayson Hawke is the newest hockey player on the Chicago Comets team. He just got traded and is not happy about it! The team and captain Dallas want to make the transition easier for him and they hire an assistant for him, enter Eloise!

Eloise is bubbly and talkative and determined to do a good job. Gray is a big grump who grunts half the time and has a natural reaction of rudeness. Eloise can’t help but break through Grays grumpy exterior and make life easier for him.

Gray is misunderstood and Eloise quickly figures him out. Eloise is a natural people person, and can’t help but be her sunshiny self even when life gets her down. Gray believes that he is undeserving of more than the success hockey brings him, and he keeps a wall up to keep others out.

I loved that Gray and Eloise had more in common that meets the eye, considering their personalities were starkly different on the outside. Both had the similar insecurities and were able to understand the other, like two kindred souls. I found Eloise adorable in every aspect of this book and you always want to root for her. And although Gray was extra grumpy rude as a natural reaction, it was an all bark but no bite type of personality that he wore. I was quickly rooting for him in the book too!

Whenever there may be more books to this series, I will definitely jump to read them! Courtney knows how to bring a heartwarming quality to the characters that she writes, and they will leave you with the warm fuzzy feelings when you finish her books!

💚 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
🍀 Hockey Romance
🍀 Workplace Romance
🍀 Single Dad
🍀 Grumpy Sunshine